Tag Archives: TOMRA Mining

TOMRA Mining to provide XRT sorting tech for Koura Las Cuevas fluorspar mine

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Koura has chosen TOMRA Mining to support its operations at the Las Cuevas fluorspar mine in Mexico, convinced by the superior performance of TOMRA XRT sorters in removing waste from the operation’s feed, TOMRA Mining says.

Commissioning of the new XRT sorters is planned for early 2025.

Koura, Orbia’s Fluor & Energy Materials business and a leading global supplier of high-purity metspar and acid spar products, extracts the raw mineral from the Las Cuevas fluorspar mine in San Luis Potosí, Mexico – one of the world’s largest and most productive fluorspar sources.

Koura has signed a contract with TOMRA Mining to install two X-Ray Transmission (XRT) sorters to significantly reduce silica and calcium carbonate content in its run-of-mine material, making processing more efficient and increasing the quality of its fluorspar product.

As the largest fluorspar producer in the world, responsible for over 20% of global fluorspar supply, Koura’s choice to partner again with TOMRA reflects a decade-long relationship built on technological excellence and dedicated service, TOMRA Mining says.

Koura has been using TOMRA’s Color sorters at its San Luis Potosí processing plant and the Las Cuevas mine to remove calcium carbonate waste from its fluorspar feed. With TOMRA’s XRT sorters, scheduled for installation in late 2024 and commissioning in early 2025, it aims to improve further the efficiency of the process while reducing costs and environmental impact through minimised water and chemical consumption.

Koura turned to TOMRA to address the need to remove silica as well as calcium carbonate from the run-of-mine using less water – a scarce resource in the dry climate of San Luis Potosí – and fewer chemicals, as well as reducing the amount of material going through crushing and grinding.

TOMRA Mining’s XRT sorting technology precisely meets these requirements: the COM Tertiary XRT and COM 1200 XRT 2.0 sorters – for smaller and larger size material respectively – will provide Koura with higher throughput and more efficient silica removal compared with previous generations of sorters and traditional mineral processing technologies, the company says.

“Sensor-based sorting offers an amazing opportunity to remove waste while using fewer resources compared to flotation or media separation. With no water or chemicals needed, it is best in class for addressing our mining challenges,” Amaury Colunga Di Bella (pictured on the left), Surface Operations Director at Orbia, says.

Koura’s decision to select TOMRA’s XRT sorters also reflects the trust built over years of collaboration.

“TOMRA has proven not only the high potential and capabilities of its technology but also the quality of its teams,” Di Bella says. “The attention and responsiveness of TOMRA’s service team are better than competitors’, and its Test Center is staffed with skilled professionals, passionate about showing the true potential of TOMRA’s solutions, and we love this.”

Harold Cline, TOMRA Mining’s North America Sales Manager, says: “We are proud that Koura has reaffirmed its trust in TOMRA Mining with this new agreement, and we look forward to supporting Koura’s ongoing success at Las Cuevas with the same dedication and expertise they have come to expect from us.”

TOMRA taps into deep learning AI network for latest ore sorting advances with OBTAIN

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

TOMRA is looking to leverage artificial intelligence as part of a plan to unlock new opportunities for mining operations using its sensor-based sorting technology.

The company explained: “The ability of computer systems to mimic human thought and decision making to perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence has played an important role in TOMRA’s sensor-based sorting solutions for decades, automating the process and improving the accuracy and efficiency of the sorters, unlocking value for mining operations.

“Over the years, sensor-based sorting technology has developed, and TOMRA has been using machine learning in its X-ray Transmission (XRT) and Near-Infrared (NIR) sorters for the last 10 years.”

Now TOMRA Mining is opening a new era in sorting with its latest innovation, OBTAIN™, which leverages deep learning to bring single-particle precision to high throughput particle sorting, it says. This solution takes capacity, quality and recovery to a new level, and unlocks value through a wealth of extremely detailed and accurate data for better-informed decision making, it added.

This software uses a neuronal network to identify the properties of each particle accurately and independently of the sorter’s capacity, achieving new-found precision and reliability in detection and ejection. Based on its specific requirements, the mining operation has the flexibility to either enhance the throughput of the sorter while maintaining consistent sorting efficiency or improve sorting precision without compromising the existing throughput.

TOMRA says: “OBTAIN proves advantageous for a fully operational mine by enhancing recovery rates and elevating product quality within the existing throughput. Conversely, in mines with additional capacity, it facilitates increased throughput without compromising product quality. Furthermore, this innovative technology has the capability to unlock untapped value from low-grade ore, waste dumps, or materials previously deemed uneconomical for processing.”

OBTAIN will also add value to a mining operation with a wealth of extremely detailed and accurate data, such as precise online particle size distribution of the feed.

When used in combination with TOMRA Insight, it can provide the customer with detailed reporting on the performance of the sorter and its components to help them optimise the process, as well as enable them to plan for predictive maintenance, the company says.

The OBTAIN software has been developed for TOMRA’s XRT sorters. It will be available on new models, but there will also be an upgrade package available for existing machines, providing a significant opportunity for customers already operating TOMRA XRT sorters, to substantially enhance the sorting performance where it proves to be a suitable solution.

TOMRA has partnered with two customers to test the OBTAIN in real working conditions. The software has been operating for close to 18 months at the Wolfram Bergbau & Hütten tungsten mine in Mittersill, Austria, where it has delivered consistent and reliable performance. The vicinity of the mine to TOMRA’s development team, based in Germany, has made it a suitable testing ground for the first phase, as they have been able to monitor it closely. A second phase of testing to quantify the improvements has been carried out with a trusted long-standing customer in a magnesite application. The successful tests have shown that OBTAIN is ready to transform sensor-based XRT sorting in numerous applications, according to TOMRA.

TOMRA Mining talks sulphide ore sorting in copper, zinc, lead space

Automation, Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

When processing sulphide ores to extract copper, zinc or lead, the focus is on ensuring that the mill is always operating at full capacity. The challenge is to optimise the process by eliminating waste in the early stages and maintain a high recovery rate, TOMRA Mining says.

This means that less barren or low-content rock will be processed, consequently increasing the metal content in the input of the mill. The result: significant cost savings and reduced environmental impact per produced tonne of metal.

In the case of copper, the mineralogy and lithology of the ore will affect how effective sorting can be at removing waste. When sorting copper sulphides with a non-disseminated texture, the focus is on waste removal to maximise recovery. However, three quarters of global copper production come from porphyry deposits, where very small grains of the metal are disseminated, making detection particularly challenging. Zinc and lead sulphides present similar sorting challenges to non-disseminated copper, although the metal content in the mineral is typically higher, so the focus will be on waste removal while maintaining the recovery levels.

The technology to sort copper, zinc and lead sulphides effectively to optimise the process is available from TOMRA Mining, it says. Its X-ray Transmission (XRT) sensor-based sorting technology can effectively detect sulphides in mineralised run of mine materials as they carry elements with higher atomic densities than non-mineralised waste rocks. After crushing, the ore in a size range from +8 mm to 80 mm is fed into the sorters and the barren and low content rocks are eliminated, resulting in a higher head grade of the mill feed. In addition, the eliminated waste can be replaced in the mill with more upgraded sulphides, increasing the efficiency of the mineral process.

However, in order to maintain the capacity of the mill, it is necessary to increase the amount fed to the crusher. This will have an impact on the mine and extraction planning. Due to the lower processing costs of sensor-based sorting, it is also possible to bring this in the calculation of the resource evaluation and the final pit design, according to TOMRA Mining.

TOMRA’s XRT sorters scan the individual rocks fed into the machine on a conveyor belt with overhead X-ray sources. At the same time, detectors located inside the belt collect data from the ore. The position of sensors, close to the rocks, combined with the strong X-ray power sources result in extra high-resolution images. This enables TOMRA’s XRT sorters to effectively process even most of the challenging porphyry copper disseminated deposits. Waste rocks are ejected by high-precision, fast pneumatic module, which adds to the sorter’s efficiency.

In copper sulphides with disseminated texture, a TOMRA XRT sorter can achieve an upgrade ratio of copper content in the mill feed ranging from 20% to 100%, while separating 20%-45% of mass as the waste material. With porphyry copper, the cut-off grade is typically 0.5%, but in view of the surging demand, it is now often as low as 0.2-0.3%. With TOMRA’s XRT technology, it is possible to achieve high recovery rates even at the lower grade, as shown by the tests conducted on run-of-mine samples from at OZ Minerals’ Antas Norte mine, in Brazil, the company says. The sorter demonstrated its ability to achieve recovery rates of at least 90% or reduce the waste grade down to 0.3% copper.

Heitor Mesquita Carmelo, Plant Manager at OZ Minerals Brazil, explains: “A bulk test was conducted to evaluate TOMRA’s XRT technology, and subsequently, the company decided to test it continuously in a pilot installation at the Antas Norte site. The results were consistent in both tests, demonstrating that the technology is effective for industrial application. TOMRA’s technology holds significant potential for OZ Minerals Brazil’s strategic plan, with the possibility of making deposits with lower ore grades viable, reducing operational costs, enhancing transportation safety for pre-concentrated ore, as well as decreasing the CO2 emission resulting from this activity.”

Heitor Mesquita Carmelo, Plant Manager at OZ Minerals Brazil

In lead and zinc sulphides, tests conducted by TOMRA have shown that it is possible to achieve an upgrade ratio of two to three times lead or zinc in the output of the sorter. Here the mineralisation plays an important role and can dramatically affect the upgrade ratio, TOMRA Mining says.

TOMRA’s XRT sorter delivers multiple benefits for copper, zinc and lead mining operations, beginning with its uniquely high capacity, which can be as high as 150-200 t/h per sorting width meter – a differentiator of TOMRA’s which also meets the requirements for medium- and large-size operations, it says. The sorter’s operational efficiency can be further improved with TOMRA Insight, a cloud-based subscription service that turns the sorter into a connected device that generates process data. It enables mining operations to monitor and measure performance in real time and optimise the process as well as tracking faults to improve maintenance and keep the plant always operating at its best.

Another important benefit of the sorter is the capacity to lower operating costs through its efficiency and energy saving features such as its ejection module that uses compressed air to eject the particles – up to 80% less compared to other ejection systems – dramatically reducing energy consumption compared to conventional sorting machines.

Optimising the process also reduces its impact on the environment. In addition, TOMRA’s XRT technology is a dry process, so that the overall use of water and chemicals is also reduced.

TOMRA Mining opens new office in Perth as Western Australia expansion continues

Environmental, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, , , ,

TOMRA Mining says it has strengthened its business in Western Australia with a new office in Perth, a new Area Sales Manager and a dedicated sales and service team

The move is predicated on meeting the rising demand for sensor-based sorting in the state and to be close to customers on the West Coast – the heart of the country’s mining sector. This is on top of its established office and Test Center in Sydney.

TOMRA Mining says it has a well-established presence in Australia with installations operating in a variety of applications including lithium, industrial minerals, polymetallics and gemstones. It has operated in the country since the 1990s when Ultrasort entered the market, before being acquired by TOMRA in 2009.

Over the years, its business has grown in response to the evolution in the industry.

“The diamond, lithium, tin, tungsten, battery and strategic minerals sectors, as well as other progressive sectors that are open to new technology, have driven sensor-based sorting into the main mining process flow and design,” Gavin Rech, Technical Manager at TOMRA, said. “The focus on environmental, social and governance, and on reducing energy consumption has further contributed to this trend.”

In order to meet the rising demand for its technology, TOMRA has decided to invest further in its operation in the country. It has strengthened its team with the appointment of Jordan Rutledge as Area Sales Manager for Australia, who brings to the team her experience and know-how.

Rutledge has worked on projects in North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. In the last four years, she has focused on North American projects for TOMRA Mining.

She said: “Western Australia is the heart of the mining industry in Australia, and with the uptake of sensor-based sorting in the sector we are seeing a fast-growing demand for our technology. We have a large number of projects and investment going into sensor-based sorting, and we are gearing up for many more opportunities, particularly in the battery metals space, with the unique solutions that we can provide lithium mining operations. With the new office in Perth, we can be on the ground and visiting our customers on the West Coast very quickly, as they are just a short drive or flight away.”

TOMRA Mining has also set up a dedicated team based at the new Perth office. Rutledg, in charge of sales, is joined by Project Coordinator, Gianni Mazzella, who runs TOMRA Mining large-scale projects. Also on the team is Adriaan Olivier, Service and Project Manager APAC, who has been supporting TOMRA customers in South Africa and Sydney for the past five years, as well as two Service Engineers – with two more to come later in the year. The team will be working closely with the Sydney office and Test Center, with the backing of TOMRA’s global support structure.

TOMRA Mining tech to be used for the world’s largest lithium sorting plant

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TOMRA Mining says it is in the process of installing what will be the world’s largest lithium mineral ore sorting plant at Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.

The installation has already started and is expected to reach completion in late 2023.

Pilbara Minerals says it owns the world’s largest, independent hard-rock lithium mine, producing a spodumene and tantalite concentrate. Through its P680 Expansion Project, the company has plans to step-up its production run-rate at the operation to a total of circa-680,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate. The sorting plant is part of this project.

Dale Henderson, Managing Director and CEO, Pilbara Minerals, said: “This new facility to be constructed at our Pilgangoora Project will be the world’s largest lithium mineral ore sorting plant. TOMRA’s experience in large global sorting installations, innovative technology and ability to provide local support were significant factors in our decision to work with them. From the start, the TOMRA team has been working side by side with us and our engineering partner DRA Global to deliver this important project.”

As part of this expansion project, Pilbara Minerals turned to TOMRA Mining for assistance to address the key industry challenge in the processing of spodumene feed ore contaminated with barren host rock.

TOMRA has 50 years’ experience in sensor-based sorting technologies and has designed and built 90% of the world’s large-scale mining sorting plants with a capacity above 300 t/h, it says. These include plants such as the Ma’aden Umm Wu’al project, which is operating at 1,850 t/h and the Lucara diamond operation which runs 15 sorters.

Specifically for the Pilbara Minerals project, TOMRA Mining highlighted that it offered effective ore sorting solutions with high sensor resolution and ejection accuracy that ensure high lithium recovery and waste removal with a stable and consistent performance at high capacity.

The TOMRA Mining team conducted a geological assessment of sample ores supplied by Pilbara Minerals. It revealed the pegmatite deposit did have non-lithium bearing host rock intrusions. Some of these minerals have a high density like that of spodumene, which means that it is also concentrated when using heavy media separation (HMS). This reduces the efficiency of the downstream flotation and contaminates the final product. Sensor-based sorting technologies, on the other hand, can measure the colour, density and mineralogical variations in individual particles, enabling the accurate detection and removal of this barren material, the company explained.

Working closely with the Pilbara Minerals metallurgical team, TOMRA conducted extensive test work at the TOMRA Test Center in Sydney, Australia, to check all the options and answer any questions arising during the tests.

The samples were run at capacity on production sorters and included repeatability and variation testing. The test work benchmarked the expected performance of the sorters and was used to establish the sort quality on each of the ore types that will be fed through the plant.

Primero Group, which was awarded the contract for construction of the project, has now started bulk earthworks for the sorting plant.

The TOMRA team was involved not only in the testing and supply of equipment, but also provided assistance with the plant layout and understanding of the implications of sorting on the upstream mining and downstream process of the ore. This involvement throughout the development process will add to efficient operational ramp-up and technical optimisation.

TOMRA’s capability to support the project with a dedicated Australia-based team and a global support structure has been a significant factor and is an important part of de-risking the installation of this new technology. The team is working closely with Pilbara Minerals through the installation process, commissioning and start-up, and will continue to provide on-site support once the sorting plant is up and running.

TOMRA Mining looks at the ore sorting fine print with latest innovation

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TOMRA Mining says it is breaking new ground with a new ejection module for its COM Tertiary X-ray Transmission (XRT) sensor-based sorter specifically developed for sorting small particle sizes.

The COM Tertiary XRT Fines sorter, featuring the new TS100C module and the recently introduced image processing unit, is capable of sorting particle sizes down to 4 mm in high-capacity applications with much higher energy efficiency, delivering a high-quality product at low operating costs, according to the company. Field tests have shown that it can deliver a 70% reduction in energy use on a production scale.

The new high resolution TS100C ejection module features a new type of ejector that is four times faster than previous iterations. Together with the new image processing unit, it delivers higher precision in sorting small particle sizes at high throughputs. The mechanical design of the sorter has also been improved by the introduction of a new splitter plate and more precise calibration equipment to ensure the greater precision in the alignment between detection and ejection systems required for fine particles, according to TOMRA.

The fast and highly precise ejection module uses significantly less compressed air to eject the particles, therefore, reducing the energy consumption. Extensive test work was conducted at the TOMRA Test Center, both with artificial material mixtures and real-world sample material. The tests showed a reduction in air consumption compared with industry standards, as well as an improvement in product purity of around 15%, the company reports.

“With the consequent cut in operating costs, sorting small particle sizes down to 4 mm with the COM Tertiary XRT Fines sorter is not only viable, but adds value to the process,” it said.

Ines Hartwig, Director Product Management at TOMRA Mining, said: “We are receiving a rapidly growing number of requests from customers to sort smaller particles. One of the biggest drivers of cost in sensor-based sorting is the energy used for the compressed air for the ejectors. The new TS100C ejection module successfully addresses this issue and provides an effective solution to this increasing demand. It is a groundbreaking invention to create more higher-value product and reduce product loss.”

Ines Hartwig, Director Product Management, TOMRA Mining

To gain field experience on the new ejection module, TOMRA partnered with a customer who has been running a COM Tertiary XRT to produce high-grade magnesite for more than two years. The sorter removes up to 50% low-grade and waste material from the raw magnesite feed, with particle sizes ranging from 10 to 35 mm at about 20 t/h.

“After conducting the test work with the TS100C ejection module at the TOMRA Test Center, we were confident that it would be very beneficial for this customer,” Hartwig says. “We showed them the test results and outlined the benefits we expected the module to deliver. As soon as they saw the possible reduction in compressed air use and the consequent cost savings, they were very interested in doing the field trial!”

The customer completed several trials, documenting the energy savings and sorting efficiencies. The results showed a 70% reduction in air consumption with an increase in product recovery with a lower mass pull to waste by producing the same product quality, and a capacity increase ranging from 20 t/h to 30 t/h with comparable results, according to TOMRA.

The COM Tertiary XRT Fines sorter featuring the new TS100C ejection module has been installed at the TOMRA Test Center in Wedel, Germany, and is ready to run tests for customers on material samples from their mines, TOMRA says.

TOMRA Mining to present complete diamond recovery solution at Mining Indaba 2023

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TOMRA Mining is to use the backdrop of the upcoming Mining Indaba 2023 event in Cape Town, South Africa, to highlight its complete sensor-based ore sorting diamond recovery solution.

Kai Bartram, Global Sales Director, Corné de Jager, Global Segment Manager Diamonds, and Helga van Lochem, Area Sales Manager, will be available from February 6-9 at the event to discuss the benefits of TOMRA’s portfolio of sorting solutions for the diamonds, metals and industrial minerals industry, as well as the advantages of its advanced digital products and services, like the TOMRA INSIGHT cloud-based platform, the company said.

Today, TOMRA Mining has more than 200 machines in operation across the world.

Bartram said: “Our sorting technologies effectively address key issues that mining companies face, such as decreasing average ore grades and rising energy costs. Not only do we offer a complete solution, unique in the market, for diamond recovery, but we have proven that our sensor-based ore sorting technologies are extremely effective in a wide variety of applications such as chrome, manganese, gold, lead and zinc. There is a big untapped potential for our technologies in mining and so far we have only scratched the surface. Our excellent results show that we are on the right track and we have ambitious objectives of growth for TOMRA Mining.”

Its latest innovation in diamond recovery, the COM XRT 300 /FR sorter, is a new-generation machine that represents an industry first in diamond sorting, according to the company.

Kai Bartram (Tomra Mining photo by Pepe Lange 2022)

It uses the company’s proprietary ultra-high-resolution sensor, advanced new image processing and high-precision ejector valve system to produce an ultra-high diamond-by-weight concentrate with an exceptionally low yield. The sorter offers 100% diamond detection within the specified size fraction and >99% guaranteed diamond recovery with appropriate feed material preparation, according to the company. It is also a dry process that doesn’t require water or chemical reagents.

“Our Final Recovery sorter has the potential to revolutionise diamond flowsheets,” de Jager said. “This user-friendly, compact and easy-to-operate sorter offers higher efficiency and better grade, with fewer sorting stages and a smaller footprint. It reduces complexity and operational costs.”

The TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR completes TOMRA’s complete partnered diamond recovery solution, which covers the entire process, from Bulk Concentration to Final Recovery and Sort House applications.

“We are now able to offer our customers a full XRT solution to sort +2-100 mm particles: our bulk concentration sorters for +4-100 mm particles and the COM XRT 300 /FR in its Final Recovery, Sort House or small-capacity exploration applications for +2-32 mm particles,” de Jager added.

TOMRA Mining to demonstrate Final Recovery diamond sorter at Electra Mining 2022

Diamond mining, Mineral processing, Mining events, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TOMRA Mining will showcase its sensor-based sorting solutions at the Electra Mining 2022 exhibition, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September, showcasing, for the first time, live demonstrations of its COM XRT 300 /FR Final Recovery sorter for diamond operations.

Representatives from its Sales and Field Service teams will also present TOMRA’s offering of advanced digital products and services, such as the TOMRA Insight cloud-based platform and its latest generation TOMRA ACT PC-based system, as well as its portfolio of sorting solutions for the diamonds, metals and industrial minerals industry at the show, which runs from September 5-9.

Corné de Jager, Diamond Segment Manager TOMRA Mining, said: “The Electra Mining Show is the perfect platform for us to showcase TOMRA’s advanced mining solutions. This important exhibition attracts a wide audience – from operators and metallurgists – interested in smart solutions that are simple to operate and maintain, to decision makers who need to be up to date with the latest value-adding technologies. At the event we will have the opportunity to meet them face-to-face and discuss their requirements, giving them a taste or TOMRA’s collaborative approach, product expertise and after-sales support.”

TOMRA will demonstrate the Final Recovery sorter with fine kimberlitic or alluvial ore together with diamond powdered tracers in a Final Recovery and Sort House application. Visitors will be able to experience first-hand the sorter’s capability to produce an ultra-high diamond-by-weight concentrate with an exceptionally low yield by using TOMRA’s proprietary ultra-high-resolution sensor, advanced new image processing and high-precision ejector valve system, the company says. The sorter offers 100% diamond detection within the specified size fraction and > 99% guaranteed diamond recovery with appropriate feed material preparation.

“We are very excited to demonstrate the TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR sorter,” de Jager says. “It completes our unique partnered diamond recovery ecosystem, which covers the entire process. We are now able to offer our customers a full XRT solution to sort +2-100 mm particles: +4-100 mm particles with our bulk concentration sorters, and +2-32 mm particles with the COM XRT 300 /FR in its Final Recovery, Sort House or small-capacity exploration applications. The sorter offers higher efficiency, better grade, simplified security requirements with fewer sorting stages and a smaller footprint. It reduces complexity and operational costs, and unlocks the potential for previously deemed non-profitable projects and marginal deposits to be economically viable. ”

The COM XRT 300 /FR sorter can also add value to existing kimberlitic and alluvial operations that use conventional bulk-concentration methods like rotary pans, dense medium separation or X-ray luminescence, if installed in a Final Recovery and/or Sort House function after these existing processes. With a contained capital expense, operations can benefit from a quick, simple and significant revenue gain, TOMRA says.

The TOMRA team at the exhibition will explain the full benefits of its complete partnered diamond recovery ecosystem consisting of XRT technology covering the entire process – from Bulk Concentration to Final Recovery and Sort House applications – as well as its advanced digital products and services. These include the newly refreshed TOMRA ACT PC-based system interface and TOMRA Insight cloud-based subscription solution.

TOMRA Mining has 190 sorter installations operating around the world, of which more than 60 are in Africa. It offers installation opportunities in Africa in the metals industry, for example in applications such as lithium, chromite, platinum, manganese and gold.

TOMRA continues to build ore sorting Insight across mining space

Bulk handling, Diamond mining, Industrial minerals, Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some 18 months after launching TOMRA Insight to mining customers, the cloud-based data platform is making inroads across the North American mining sector, Harold Cline and Jordan Rutledge told IM on the side lines of the MINEXCHANGE 2022 SME Annual Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City recently.

TOMRA rolled out the subscription-based service to mining back in late 2020, with one of the early adopters being the Black chrome mine in South Africa, one of two mining projects that form the basis of the Sail Group’s plans for long-term sustainable chrome production.

TOMRA Insight, the company says, enables sorting machine users to improve operational efficiencies through a service that turns these machines into connected devices for the generation of valuable process data.

Cline and Rutledge, both TOMRA Sorting Area Sales Managers for North America, said numerous customers were now taking advantage of TOMRA Insight across the region, with many more interested in leveraging the continuous data streams coming off a web-based portal stored securely in the cloud.

TOMRA’s Harold Cline & Jordan Rutledge

“This is seeing mine managers able to tap into how operations are performing today, while tracking that against performance over the last day, week, month, quarter, etc,” Cline told IM. “With the help of our support network, these operations are able to achieve more consistent performance.”

With more customers signing up to TOMRA Insight and more data being generated, the pair were confident future iterations of the platform would be able to offer machine-learning algorithms that helped, for example, predict failures or highlight potential areas for operational improvements.

At the show, the pair were also highlighting the ongoing demand for TOMRA’s Final Recovery sorter, the COM XRT 300/FR, which, since launch, has been successfully deployed at the Letšeng diamond mine in Lesotho, owned by Gem Diamonds. The solution has gone on to be rolled out at other operations.

The introduction of the COM XRT 300/FR, TOMRA became the first company in the industry able to supply a full diamond recovery solution using XRT technology from 2-100 mm, with the unit delivering concentration factors of up to one million with limited stages and guaranteeing more than 99% diamond recovery, according to the company.

Outside of diamonds and sorter analytics, Cline was keen to talk up demand from the gold sector for the company’s sorters.

One of the key differentiators of its offering to the yellow metal space is the ability to scan the material with a multi-channel laser sensor. In an ore sorting setup that involves both XRT and LASER sensor-based machines, the TOMRA solution can remove particles containing sulphide minerals using XRT and subsequently leverage laser sensors to remove particles containing quartz and calcite.

TOMRA says its segregated option can potentially improve recoveries in quartz-associated gold applications thanks to a laser chute-based machine that analyses rocks from both sides. Other belt-based laser machines can only analyse a maximum of 40% of the rock’s surface, according to TOMRA.

“In the gold scenario, we are using XRT to sense and sort with sulphide minerals as a proxy,” Cline said. “At the same time, our laser scanner allows further separation capabilities through identification of minerals such as quartz and calcite.”

Vista Gold, which is developing the Mt Todd project in Australia, anticipates that this combined solution could eliminate approximately 10% of the run-of-mine feed to the grinding circuit, allowing the company to decrease the grind size and thereby increase recovery of the contained gold.

The COM XRT 300/FR offers a full diamond recovery solution

Cline added: “In North America, we have three projects in the gold space we’re working on at the moment that appreciate our unit’s ability to analyse the whole of the particle through our chute mechanism, as opposed to conveyor-based systems that can only analyse one angle of the particle.”

While TOMRA offers multiple sensors on its units through its modular platform, Rutledge said the company continues to have discussions on combining its solutions with other bulk sorting suppliers to further improve the process, naming prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) technology as one specific area of interest.

“We very often refer clients on to other companies when our solution may not match their brief,” she said. “At the same time, we have done some flowsheet work to include our solution with others currently on the market and believe it is only a matter of time before a combination of the two comes into a flowsheet.”

TOMRA Mining’s ore sorting solution helps Renison tin mine do ‘more with less’

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Metallurgy, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TOMRA Mining and its X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology has, the company says, provided an effective solution for the extreme conditions at the Bluestone Mines Tasmania JV (BMTJV) Renison tin mine in Tasmania, Australia, with sensor-based ore sorting solution unlocking significant value and delivering environmental benefits.

The Renison mine is 50% owned by Metals X through the BMTJV, and is the only major tin mine in production in Australia with a mining rate of close to 1 Mt/y, according to TOMRA. While slated capacity is 1 Mt/y, the concentrator is restricted to 750,000 t/y.

The mine’s extreme humidity and highly acidic processing water (pH around 4.5) create unique challenges for the sorting process, the equipment and waste management, according to TOMRA.

A complex flowsheet

The underground mine operates a primary crushing system before the material is transported to the surface through a shaft. Once there, it enters the pre-concentration plant, where it undergoes a three-stage crushing, screening and cleaning process. The particles are split into two fractions – 10-25 mm and 25-60 mm – which are fed into two TOMRA XRT sorters. The output consists of two streams: the product, which is transferred to the wet plant, and the waste, which is fed into a TOMRA EM sorter to separate acid-forming sulphides from this waste stream.

In the wet plant, the product goes through primary grinding followed by bulk sulphide flotation. The tailings are processed downstream to concentrate the cassiterite tin mineral through gravity concentration; gravity tails are further treated via desliming and tin flotation. The combined concentrates are fed to a leaching circuit to remove carbonate minerals. After a final wash stage, the concentrate is de-watered and dispatched.

BMTJV approached TOMRA to address two key requirements at the plant. The first was the need to upgrade the tin feed to the plant, as Ben Wraith, Principal Project Metallurgist at BMTJV (pictured below), explained: “The Renison tin operation wanted to achieve economies of scale, putting more tonnes through the front end of the plant without upgrading the back end downstream – we wanted to do more with less.”

The second requirement was to address the environmental issue of removing acid-forming sulphides from the waste.

Following site visits and extensive discussions with BMTJV’s teams, TOMRA proposed a solution that addressed the tin feed quality with two COM Tertiary XRT 1200 sorters and the waste issue with a COM Tertiary EM 1200 sorter. A team from BMTJV visited the TOMRA Test Center in Sydney, Australia, where they observed what the XRT sorter operating at capacity is capable of.

Gavin Rech, Technical Manager at TOMRA, said: “Our XRT stands out for the high spatial and density resolution and its ability to do contrast sorting, identifying fine high-density tin inclusions in the ore with an accuracy that has no equal on the market. On top of that, it can separate it from the acid-forming sulphides, so that we have the ability of pulling the tin into the first product and sending the rest to the EM sorter.”

Gavin Rech, Technical Manager at TOMRA

The two COM Tertiary XRT 1200 sorters went into operation in 2018. Initially, BMTJV’s strategy focused on low reject grades, devoting less focus to achieving the mass reject rate and overall process plant throughput. However, the specific conditions at the Renison mine affected the results achieved. The large variance in run of mine (ROM) particle size distribution resulted in insufficient stability in the feed to the circuit. In addition, the extremely wet conditions in west Tasmania and consequent high ambient moisture content, combined with the high moisture of the ore delivered from underground, further affected the sorting process.

In 2019, a new investigation was conducted into the ore sorting performance and led to a change of direction, where the operation shifted away from targeting low reject grades, towards sorting as aggressively as possible, according to Wraith, moving from a “tin recovery-based” operating strategy to a “mass reduction” one.

“We are getting 20-25% mass reduction, so 75-80% of the materials are going into the wet plant, and we are still achieving 97-98% tin recovery overall across the crushing circuit,” he said. “Pre-concentration didn’t materially impact overall recovery because the tin in the material that is rejected as waste is extremely fine grained and a proportion is associated with sulphides, so it wouldn’t have been fully recovered in the downstream wet plant and would have been lost to tailings.”

This approach, he said, is best for Bluestone’s application as it provides the ability to process 15-20% more tin units without having to upgrade the downstream concentrator.

Wraith added: “Operating the sorting circuit has slightly increased our overall processing cost, but this is more than offset by the large increase in ROM throughput by 15-20% and, thus, tin production, so the unit cost per tonne of tin produced is reduced by almost 10%. We’ve broken multiple production records in the last year in tin units, and this gives us confidence in what we can achieve because the machine performs over and over again if you treat it right and if you prepare your feed correctly.”

TOMRA XRT success leads to upgrade decision

In view of the results achieved with the two TOMRA XRT sorters, BMTJV decided to upgrade the ore sorting circuit with two new, recently launched XRT models with stainless steel internal parts and advanced features such as the TOMRA ACT user interface and the TOMRA Insight cloud-based platform, according to TOMRA.

“The decision to buy new machines was easy,” Wraith said. “The stainless steel will assist prolonging the TOMRA sorter’s life by protecting the unit from our high-moisture and corrosive environment. The more ergonomic design will help our maintenance teams, which is particularly important for machinery operating in these harsh conditions.”

Wraith said the use of TOMRA Insight, the ore sorting company’s subscription-based service that relays and analyses machine data, will “enhance everybody’s understanding and experience of the machines”.

He added: “It will be more of an analytical platform for our metallurgy and maintenance staff, providing ample opportunity to gain valuable information that can be analysed and optimised over time. The one feature I am personally interested in is the particle size monitoring through the machines, which will enhance our overall circuit performance because we have an integrated circuit with the crushing and screening plant. Feed preparation is key to maintain a consistent performance – knowing how well you’re preparing your feed in a live fashion can only end up with a better result.”

TOMRA will also be able to log into the machine and check the daily reports generated by TOMRA Insight, so its technical teams will be prepared ahead of site visits for maintenance or optimisation.

Wraith concluded: “TOMRA has been working with the site maintenance team to tailor solutions to our operating environment, which has been invaluable. TOMRA supported me through site visits, which included equipment inspections, site-based training of our personnel, and an openness to continually improving the technology and finetune it to our site-specific requirements. They assisted the site with troubleshooting, optimisation, discussing the nuts and bolts of the issues as they arose, and finding a solution that works.”